


The Planet of Darkness

by TARDISTraveller42



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Angst, Drama, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-08 14:51:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14696442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TARDISTraveller42/pseuds/TARDISTraveller42
Summary: The Doctor and Clara visit Noctem 5, nicknamed the 'Planet of Darkness'. What secrets does the strange world hold? And can the Doctor and Clara make it to the light?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
Clara sloshed tea from her mug into a thermos and tried to ignore the drops spilling on the counter and the sleep she still hadn’t wiped from her eye. Usually by this time she was sitting at her desk watching the morning announcements with her students, but today just wasn’t one of those days. Could she really be blamed for setting the alarm for P.M. instead of A.M.? 

Perhaps.

But could she really get in trouble for making such a silly little mistake?

Perhaps.

“Keys; tea; makeup...makeup!”

She set her thermos back on the counter and dashed to a mirror. She and Danny had had a nice date last night. They’d made dinner together, and watched telly, and then goofed around with some lipstick and eyeliner. Unfortunately, they’d lost track of time, he’d run home after eleven, and she’d passed out on her bed without washing her face. 

“Bloody hell, why are some days so difficult?”

As she scrubbed her already irritated skin, she hazarded a glance to the clock. Her heart skipped a beat.

It crossed her mind to call out of work, but really she’d already done that way too often lately. She couldn’t afford to lose her job and she definitely couldn’t afford an investigation into her whereabouts. The authorities probably wouldn’t appreciate the fact that she ran into a police box to escape her problems and travel with her alien friend. 

Frustrated tears blinked into her eyes as she slipped on her shoes. “Traffic sucks right now...the Tube is always packed…”

She threw a swear word at her shoe as the strap came loose. She fixed it, grabbed her purse and her tea, and started for the door.

“Finally.”

A wind picked up inside her flat, throwing papers onto the floor. Clara shut her eyes and groaned. “Not now!”

She backed up a few paces as the TARDIS materialized in front of her. It was blocking the door completely. Clara set down her tea and her purse and put her hands on her hips. If this wasn’t bloody well important….

“Clara! You’re all ready; good. Except you forgot some of your makeup, just there.”

He pointed at her eyes. She threw up a defensive hand, barely withholding herself from smacking his arm away. She let out a slow breath.

“Doctor, now is really not a good time…”

“There’s always a good time in the TARDIS.”

He had that boyish grin that made this regeneration, even with its gray hair, appear to be so much younger than the last. Clara couldn’t help but feel a little smile tug at the corners of her lips. An idea struck her, one that almost always struck on days like these.

“Hey, Doctor…”

He was eyeing her dishevelled flat, with its tea stains and thrown pillows (Clara had misplaced her keys at one point in all the commotion), but he turned back abruptly at the sound of her voice.

“Can you help me get to school on time?”

He opened the TARDIS doors and gave her a smug look. “Of course I can. But there’s a thing I want to show you first.”

Clara paused, her purse slung over one shoulder and thermos in her hand. “A...thing?”

The Doctor ushered her inside and closed the door behind them. “Just a before-school field trip. Won’t take long. It’s very, er, fleek.”

Clara set down her things, and then quirked an eyebrow at him. “What was that last word?”

“Fleek. That’s what the kids are saying these days, right?”

Clara chuckled, feeling the remainder of that nervous energy dissipate. “Enjoyed your time as caretaker, did you?”

The Doctor pulled down and lever and shrugged. “There were certainly perks.”

He flashed her a smile and jumped to the other side of the console, where he punched numbers into a keypad. Clara followed, eyeing the screen with mounting excitement.

“So where are we going?”

The TARDIS engines started, groaning.

“The planet Noctem 5. Humans won’t discover it for a long time; always sending probes in the wrong direction.”

He walked around the console and cranked another lever. Clara leaned her elbows beside the controls.

“‘Noctem’; that’s something to do with night, right?” Clara asked.

“Quite.” The Doctor smiled at the rhyme. “Nicknamed ‘The Planet of Darkness’. The planet’s atmosphere absorbs almost all of the light from the nearest star, so it looks like constant night. There are almost no colors other than gray and black on the entire planet. Even in the sky.”

Clara made a face. “That’s a bit bleak, isn’t it?”

The Doctor held up a finger. “I did say ‘almost’ no other colors. The atmosphere also doesn’t absorb blue light.”

Clara smirked. “Black and blue planet. Hopefully not how we’ll end up.”

The Doctor’s mouth fell agape. “Would I ever put you in danger, Clara?”

Clara twiddled her thumbs. “Not intentionally. I’m just saying...you remember that last place we visited.”

He rolled his eyes. “They were babies, Clara.”

“Baby kangaroos! They kicked me in the shin a dozen times.”

The Doctor paced around the console and dropped the brake. “They weren’t really kangaroos.”

Clara nodded. “Alien kangaroos.”

The Doctor sighed with a smile and led her to the door. “Ready?” He asked.

Her lips turned up into a smile. “Always.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Clara stepped out onto Noctem 5 and found black, alien gravel beneath her feet. The sky was a light gray, but in the center sat a blue circle, glowing brightly.

“Is that the sun?” Clara asked. 

The Doctor shut the TARDIS door behind him and came to her side. “Yes. It’s just far enough away that we can glance at it. Don’t stare, though.”

Clara looked away instantly. The Doctor smirked. “It might be shy.”

Clara punched his shoulder lightly and crossed her arms, a smile stretching across her face. “Thank you for taking me here. This is...amazing.”

The Doctor hurried ahead of her, leading them to a path going up a hill. “If you think this is amazing, just wait until we reach the lake.”

Clara paused in her ascent. “They have lakes here? Is there life, too?”

The Doctor shook his head and trekked up a bit further. “Twenty First century. So much for you to discover. There can be life without water, too. You just need to know how to find it.”

Clara followed him further up the hill, struggling with the last, steepest bit. From the summit, he stretched his hand down to help her. She took it without hesitation.

“Hope this view is worth it. Didn’t expect to be climbing this early in the morning.”

The Doctor smiled as she stepped up to the top of the hill. “It is.”

Clara dusted herself off and realized the Doctor was still holding her hand. She stayed silent and enjoyed the small moment of intimacy. He pulled her toward the opposite end of the summit.

“Now. Look.”

He dropped her hand to give a sweeping gesture across the vista. It was glorious.

Dark gravel lay in a valley to the left, leading to a chain of mountains much higher than the hill they were perched on. Directly below them stood the true piece-de-resistance, a lake filled with the brightest and most vivid blue Clara had ever seen. It seemed almost brighter than the sun she’d looked at. To the right stood a small expanse of trees with orbs at the top. Many of the orbs were that same shade of brilliant blue, while others were gray or black.

The Doctor took in a deep breath. He was about to say something when a chill settled on the hill, making him shiver. Goosebumps rose on Clara’s skin. 

“Should we go back down? Getting a bit nippy,” Clara said, crossing her arms.

“It’s wrong,” the Doctor said flatly. His eyebrows were furrowed, eyes bright. Clara knew that look. She’d seen it on almost every trip they went on. 

Trouble. Or, at the very least, a mystery.

She bit her lip. “Sure?”

“Definitely. The planet absorbs almost all light. That includes infrared light. Heat.”

“Maybe, er, there aren’t a lot of greenhouse gases to absorb the infrared light?” Clara asked. The Doctor threw her a curious glance. “I covered a science class the other day and we watched some Bill Nye.”

The Doctor nodded. “Good idea. But no. The planet’s average temperature is much higher than on Earth. And there’s more methane and Sulfur Dioxide here than anywhere, given all of the volcanoes.”

Clara held up a hand. “Hold on; volcanoes?”

The Doctor waved it off. “Not here. The other side of the planet, mostly.”

Clara calmed, and then looked over the beautiful view with a more critical eye. “So what would make a hot planet cool down?”

The Doctor scratched his chin. “There are plenty of possibilities. The real question is ‘what would make this specific hot planet cool down’.”

Clara rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, that’s what I was implying.”

The Doctor suddenly put a hand on Clara’s shoulder, his eyes locked toward the right side of the valley. “Clara.”

She followed his gaze to the trees. Two of them crumpled into themselves and fell into the ground as she watched. She took a few unconscious steps back.

“Er, Doctor...what just happened?”

He stepped forward and looked closer. “There’s something down there.”

Clara stayed behind him, but peered over his shoulder. “Something friendly?”

The Doctor turned to her suddenly. “Head back to the TARDIS.”

Clara started back to the edge of the hill, but spun around when she noticed he wasn’t following. “Where are you going?”

“I have to know what’s happening. You go. It might not be safe.”

Clara groaned. “Doctor how many times. I’m not going to leave you in danger like that.”

The Doctor met her eyes. “Clara, please. I’ll be fine. You, I’m not so sure.”

Clara crossed her arms. “Doctor, seriously, I know you mean well. And I know I’m a woman who can’t reach the kitchen cabinet. But that bloody well doesn’t mean that I’m completely helpless!”

The Doctor put his hands together. “I know. I know; I’m sorry. I just can’t let you get hurt. My body can handle more than yours can. Superior-”

“‘Timelord Biology; yeah, yeah.” Clara started down the hill, careful not to trip over herself on the rugged terrain. 

The Doctor turned back to the view and sighed. So many things conflicted in his mind, trying to get his attention. His care for Clara, and the need to protect her even though he knew she could do it on her own. His curiosity, always putting him and everyone he loved in danger. Another thing was nagging at him. Something he wasn’t seeing.

The figure was gone. His hearts skipped a beat. Maybe he just couldn’t see it from this far away. Maybe there hadn’t been anything there at all. Maybe...

“DOCTOR!”

At the sound of Clara’s scream, the Doctor bolted down the hill. His feet slid over the gravel and he nearly fell twice, but he didn’t care. His hearts were pounding. Finally he approached the bottom, his legs moving faster than his brain could keep up with. He found Clara and skidded to a stop, grabbing onto her arms to keep from toppling over. 

Her eyes were wide and frightened, but a quick glance told him she was uninjured. “Clara?”

“Doctor, what is that?”

He turned and looked at the figure. It was a humanoid, standing on two legs, and such a bright shade of white that it looked like it was glowing. Its entire body was that brilliant color, except for its eyes which were the darkest shade of black. 

The Doctor pulled Clara back a few steps. “Conjecture: indigenous species.”

“Are you right?”

“No idea,” he said, taking her hand. “Run!”

They ran along the same path as earlier. Clara glanced back and found the alien turned toward them, still unmoving. “Why isn’t it chasing us?”

The Doctor held tighter onto her hand. “Dangerous question, Clara.”

Just then, two more of the figures sprang up in front of the Doctor and Clara. They had just enough time to stop before colliding right into them. The Doctor got his breath back and put on a cheerier air.

“Ah, it’s got friends. Lovely. Always nice to have company.”

Clara eyed them closer. “Doctor, if they’re indigenous to this planet, why are they white?”

On of the figures took an eerie step forward, its legs moving like jelly. 

“Clara,” the Doctor murmured. “You can’t just ask people why they’re white.”

Clara rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Is this the time to quote Mean Girls?”

The Doctor flashed her a smile before the other figure began approaching in the same unsettling manner.

“Why are they walking like that?” Clara asked.

The Doctor watched them try another step or two. “They’re like...toddlers! Yes, of course!”

“Obviously,” Clara stated sarcastically. As one of the figures got closer, she took a step back. 

The Doctor rubbed his hands together. “The planet it getting colder. Which means either the planet isn’t getting as much heat from the star or the levels of greenhouse gases has significantly reduced.”

Clara pulled him back another few feet as he spoke. The three figures had formed a small semicircle around them.

“But greenhouse gases don’t just disappear,” the Doctor continued. “They would get absorbed by the planet, on some level.”

He knelt down and put a hand on the ground. A smile came to his face. The winner’s smile. Clara knew he was close.

“The planet itself is still cool. Just the atmosphere has changed so far. Which means…”

“The star is the problem.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Well, that or the planet has just chosen not to take energy from the star anymore.”

Clara led them in between two of the figures, who were still toddling weakly. Once they were far enough away for comfort, she froze.

“Doctor. Look.”

A few more of the figures were coming out of the ground, clawing up as if they’d been trapped. They pulled themselves up slowly, and stayed on the ground for long moments before attempting to stand.

The Doctor’s eyes glowed brighter than ever. “Oh, that’s interesting.”

“What is?” Clara asked, afraid of the answer.

“They’re not coming out of the planet--well, they are in a way,” he explained. “But they weren’t buried under the surface. They...were the surface.”

Clara bit her lip and gave him a quizzical brow. “Er, what?”

The Doctor pointed at a spot not ten meters away. “Watch.”

Clara, still skeptical, watched the spot without blinking. Gravel moved suddenly, clumping together. It melded and formed the shape of a body. Then the gravel slowly turned from dark to light gray; from brown to blue; from blue to white. As the creature took form, it began to glow. When its black eyes blinked open, Clara jumped back.

“Doctor, what the hell is going on?”

The Doctor smiled. “The birth of a new species.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“Genesis; right? That’s what this is?” The Doctor asked, getting too close to one of the figures for Clara’s liking.

“Doctor, maybe we should stay back. They might be dangerous.”

The Doctor gave her an amused look. “Do you have a phobia of babies or something, Clara? These ones are newborns! They can hardly walk.”

Clara tried to calm the alarms ringing in her head. She wanted to believe this was a harmless, spectacular event they were witnessing. But something wasn’t right.

“Doctor, the trees.”

“What trees?”

Clara swallowed, trying to make sense of everything. “The trees we saw earlier. They crumpled into themselves. How would they do that?”

The Doctor shrugged, biting his lip. The brightness in his eyes was waning. “Maybe that’s what trees do around here.”

“Or?”

He scratched the back of his neck. He wasn’t smiling anymore. “Or the planet is eating its own trees and making glowy people.”

Clara’s eyes widened. “Is that possible?”

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets. “I’ve met sentient planets before.”

“Like the sentient sun we met?”

The Doctor wiped his hand over his mouth. “Sometimes even more dangerous.”

Clara sighed. “Okay, I think I’ve been creeped out enough for one morning. Back to school, yeah? Class starts at eight. We can grab a coffee first.”

“Clara. I don’t think they’re babies anymore.”

The three figures they’d first encountered were fully functioning now. They walked as a small unit toward the Doctor and Clara, who backed away from them and the dozens of others still springing out of the ground.

“Ah, they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Clara said sarcastically. The figures were still approaching as the Doctor and Clara backed quickly away.

The figure on the right opened its mouth. “We are children of the planet and sun. We do not require time nor caregiving.”

The Doctor furrowed his brow. “Every organism is a child of the universe. What makes you special?”

The figure tilted its head. Their pace was slowing, at least, allowing the Doctor and Clara to almost come to a stop. 

“The planet itself has given us life.”

The figure in the middle slowed the group to stop before opening its mouth. “The sun was running out, and so the planet looked to itself for its energy requirements.”

The figure on the far left spoke up. “It absorbed the energy from the indigenous organisms. By doing so, and with the light still entering from the sun, it created the perfect formula for us to be born.”

Clara raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, not following.”

“Wait,” the Doctor said to the aliens. “So the planet started feeding on itself? How long can that last?”

The figure on the right took a step forward. “That is why we were created. Unlike the trees and other plants, we can leave this planet.”

The figure in the middle stepped in line with the other. “We can find other worlds; other organisms.”

The last figure joined its partners. “And bring them home to feed our planet.”

The Doctor shook his head with a dark smile. “You’ve really got a whole plan worked out, don’t you? And you’re, what, five minutes old?”

“Three,” the figure on the right said.

Clara held up both of her pointer fingers. “Hold on. You said your star is going out. Won’t the planet be destroyed anyway?”

The Doctor clicked his fingers. “Good point. Well done, teach.”

“Lucky I covered science yesterday. If I covered pottery class I would’ve been much more lost today.”

The Doctor looked to the figures. “Well? Do you have a response?”

The figure on the left said, “The sun is not yet gone. It will take millenia. Long enough for us to learn to absorb others’ energy. Long enough to move our planet to a more energetic star.”

The Doctor smiled, taking a step toward them. Clara hung back, still wary.

“I’m sorry?” The Doctor asked. “Now I can believe you’re toddlers. You want to move a planet? What, do you think there’s a U-Haul for that kind of a thing?”

“We have seen it done before,” one of the figures said.

“By races much stronger and situations much different than yours,” the Doctor explained. He sighed. “What is this all even for? Really? What is it that you want?”

“Survival.”

“Survival. Ah. For your species, you mean. For your planet. What about everyone you plan on absorbing? What about all that energy you want to drain? What about their survival?”

The figure on the left turned its head sharply toward the Doctor. “Our only concern is our safety and the safety of our planet. This is standard protocol on numerous worlds. In numerous species.”

“Selfish ones,” the Doctor said bitterly. He met Clara’s eyes and motioned for her not to talk. “You don’t need to do any of this. You don’t need to become another draining species for me to fight. You don’t need to start down that path. You can use the energy you have, and do what you can to be happy, and then when it's all over, you can just let it go. Let the planet and the sun go away. The circle of life.”

The figure on the left looked to its companions. “Siblings; I have learned a method of absorbing this being’s energy: through the energy in his voice. Feast, my siblings.”

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. “Is that a joke or-?”

His voice was suddenly cut off as a wave of strange energy hit him, pinning him to the spot. He felt one of the figures put a hand on his chest and a wave crashed over him, blurring the surroundings. He could hear Clara behind him, supposedly held back by other aliens, but he couldn’t call out to her. 

All of the energy in his body was being suctioned off, through the hand on his chest, into the ground beneath the figure’s feet. 

Clara watched the Doctor fall to his knees. The thing had its hand on his chest. It was glowing brighter than ever. She tried to push through the arms holding her back but they were too strong; they had the energy of a sun and planet.

“Let him go!” She shouted, then silenced herself. It had said something about the energy in the Doctor’s voice. If she spoke, they might be able to get her too. Then they’d definitely be in a bad situation.

‘Okay, Clara, what do you do when a bunch of glowy people are draining the Doctor’s energy on a planet millions of miles from home when you’ve barely been out of bed for an hour?’

Clara had no idea what to do. So as the Doctor cried out in pain and sank closer to the ground, Clara did the only thing she could. 

She cried.

And suddenly the hands holding onto her arms went away. 

Suddenly she was free.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Clara backed away from the figures before they could change their mind. Though tears still lay drying on her cheeks and the Doctor’s energy was still being drained from him, Clara felt herself calm significantly.

“You-you let me go,” she said simply. The figure that had been holding her arm clasped its hands together.

“What are you doing?” It asked.

“What do you mean?”

It pointed at her face. The Doctor suddenly screamed out again and a tear blinked out of Clara’s eye.

“That!” The figure shouted. “What is that? A defense?”

Clara brought a hand up and wiped away the tear. “I’m crying.”

“What is crying?”

If her best friend weren’t possibly losing his life three feet away from her, Clara could’ve smiled. “It’s when you’re feeling a lot. I’m...afraid. And sad. So I’m crying. I’m sorry, can you let him go now?”

The figure didn’t loosen its hold on the Doctor’s chest. In fact, the brightness only seemed to increase, feeding even faster. The figure speaking to Clara approached. She took a step back but met the wall.

“What is ‘feeling’?” The figure asked.

“You really don’t know,” Clara said, mostly to herself.

She swallowed and looked at the Doctor for courage or assistance. His knees were digging into the ground as he breathed in slow gasps. His eyes were rolled back, lids fluttering closed. Clara’s chest ached.

She turned to the figure with balled fists at her sides, a brightness entering her unblinking eyes.

“Feeling is a human ability. It gives us power.”

“Power?”

Clara nodded. “Yes. Enough to take down the universe. Enough to change the entire course of history.”

The figure took a step back. “Do you have a lot of ‘feeling’ for this being?”

Clara nodded again. “He’s my best friend.”

“Friend? What is that?”

Clara smirked. “You lot think you’re so powerful. But you’re not. You don’t know love or friendship or anything else that really matters. You let him go or I will bring all of my feeling down on you and anyone else who dares to hurt him.”

The figure pondered her words, and then motioned to the figure connected to the Doctor. “Let him go.”

The hand dropped away from the Doctor’s chest. He stayed frozen for a moment as the connection disappeared, and then let out a groan and began to fall forward. Clara crashed to her knees just in time to catch him in her arms. 

“I’ve got you.”

She held him close to herself, cradling his head on her shoulder. He was still unconscious, but his warm breath tickled her neck.

“I’ve got you,” Clara murmured again, shaking. Her whole body felt like lead.

The figures standing around them were perplexed. They eyed each other, trying to make sense of it all, until finally the one who had spoken to Clara raised its chin. 

“Siblings: perhaps we shall spend some time on our planet, learning. We must know about the world that is beyond before attempting to harness its energy. Let us build a civilization, and live here while our sun still burns. We will be mighty, but there is so much that we still haven’t learned.” We don’t want to destroy ourselves because of our own ignorance.”

The alien beings all cheered loudly before heading off in various directions. Even the one who had spoken left without another glance Clara’s way. The next time the young teacher raised her head, they were all far in the distance.

She almost called out to them, but thought better of it. They’d narrowly escaped once; she wasn’t about to risk it again. Instead, she looked down at the Doctor in her arms, whose eyes were slowly opening. 

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

“Clara,” he mumbled, his voice slurred.

Clara helped him to a kneeling position, keeping a hand on his shoulder just in case. 

“Are you okay?” She asked. 

He put a hand to his chest. “Getting there. One of my hearts stopped, but it’s coming back.”

Clara’s eyes widened, but the Doctor gave her an earnest smile.

“It’s fine.”

Clara rubbed his arm and looked around the valley. “The TARDIS isn’t too far. Do you think you can walk?”

The Doctor gave her a look. “I’m the one with the duty of care, Clara.”

She raised her hands in defense as the Doctor started pushing himself off of the ground. “Alright. Just, if I had just gotten my energy sapped by a glowy guy…”

Before she could finish, the Doctor stumbled and nearly crashed face first into the gravel. Clara caught him just in her arms to keep him standing, leaned heavily on her for support.

She smiled sweetly up to him. “Maybe just a little bit of help? Come on, let me see how this ‘caretaking’ thing works, eh?”

The Doctor nodded silently. Clara eased his arm over her shoulder and put a hand around his waist. “Slowly. I don’t want to have to catch you again.”

“Yes ma’am,” the Doctor replied. His voice was still too slurred for Clara’s liking, but it would have to do for now. She was just glad that he could speak now.

They walked in awkward rhythm down the path from earlier. The terrain seemed a bit more rugged now, and more hilly, but they managed to get to the blue box without toppling over. Clara counted it as a success as they stumbled through the TARDIS doors into the Console room.

“Home sweet home,” she said, directing the Doctor to the flight chair.

He tried to stand as Clara shut the door, but she came back instantly. With a hand on his chest, she pushed him gently back into the seat.

“You stay there. I’m going to get us some tea and we’ll go sit on the deck and watch the stars, alright?”

The Doctor, his remaining energy spent on the walk, merely smiled and murmured, “Sounds perfect.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Clara crossed her dangling ankles and took a sip of her tea. The galaxy in front of her was beautiful, swirls of blue and red dotted with distant stars. As she brought her mug to her lap, a comet sailed across the sky.

“Who knew all of this would happen before school?” She said into the silence.

The Doctor swallowed his own tea and set it on the floor. His movements were still a bit sluggish and the exhaustion was plain on his face, but his eyes were sparkling again. Clara watched him for a moment. He was so quiet. Too quiet.

She nudged his foot with one of her own. “Are you okay?”

“Course,” he said curtly. 

Clara frowned and turned back to the world outside of the TARDIS. When he was ready, he’d talk.

The Doctor leaned back on his hands and looked down at his shoes. “Thank you,” he said, barely above a whisper.

“For what?”

“You saved my life today, Clara.”

She let out a laugh. “Hardly. I cried and got lucky.”

The Doctor met her eyes. His were shining. Clara put a hand on his.

“Doctor, what’s wrong?” She asked with a concerned brow.

He turned his eyes away from hers and forced a smile. “Guess today wasn’t as much about my superior biology as it was your human feelings.”

“Guess so,” Clara said simply. She didn’t look away from him, but he still wouldn’t meet her eye. “But it’s not only humans that have emotions, Doctor. What are you feeling right now?”

The Doctor looked at her as if she’d just asked how many heads he had.

“Clara, you know this body isn’t about all that touchy-feely-”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, Doctor. We both know that’s not quite true.”

The Doctor’s face turned pink and he looked away, but he folded his hands together and sighed a moment later.

“I...I was scared earlier. Really scared.”

“Scared is a superpower,” Clara reminded him. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

The Doctor let out a deep breath he’d been holding. “I thought...I thought I was going to die. Actually die. I didn’t even have the energy to start a regeneration. I didn’t want to leave you. Especially not with them. Not there.”

Clara felt a tear blink into her eye. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him toward herself, planting a kiss on the top of his head. She rubbed his arm soothingly.

“Don’t worry about me, Doctor. I was just worried about you, you daft old man.”

They both smiled at the nickname. The Doctor let his head rest on Clara’s shoulder. She moved her hand to his head and stroked his hair.

“It’s all over now,” she said quietly.

“Yes.”

The galaxy swirled and turned in front of them, dazzling colors mixing and intertwining. Slowly, the time travelers closed their eyes, Clara still running an unconscious hand through the Doctor’s hair. In the warm embrace of the TARDIS, with the universe forming and reforming in front of them, they drifted off to sleep. 

All was calm.

And all was bright.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please don't hesitate to comment. It's more encouraging than you can know to hear back from you guys!


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